


Miraculous Ladybug: Dark Magic

by instant_n00dles



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Chat Noir Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Lady Noir, F/M, If you took Miraculous but flipped everything on its head, Just an FYI her name might not be Lady Noir, Kwami Swap, Kwamis are familiars, Ladybug Adrien Agreste | Mister Bug, Miraculous is a relative term, Not your average Love Square, Out of Character, Reveal, Sorting Houses, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24284533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/instant_n00dles/pseuds/instant_n00dles
Summary: Marinette had always believed in magicOf course, it was easy for her to say—being a witch and all. Magic was just another part of her life; it was as simple as baking, as easy as breathing. In fact, Marinette had been exposed to magic since the day she was born. This didn’t mean she led anything other than a normal life though—well as normal as it can get in the realm of what happens to people like her. She lived in a regular town, her parents drove a regular car—she even attended a regular school, but above all else, Marinette had always been a witch: she had always believed in magic.And now that she was 19 things were going to be funVery fun
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	1. Eye for an Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So this is like my first work-- and I'm kinda nervous about it. Just as a disclaimer, everyone might be a little OOC since I've never had to write them before. Uh, that's all I really have to say-- but I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Edit. This is a completely reworked version of the chapter you may have originally read. It doesn't follow the same story lines (like...at all) anymore, so you may want to read it to find out wth is going on. Also, I've now made everyone OOC on purpose, as this is going to be a...interesting take on Miraculous Ladybug! Hope y'all enjoy!

“Marinette get down here! Your friends are waiting!” 

The young girl turned her head to get a better look at her alarm clock: 7:30 am

_ Wonderful—she was already late _

Slowly getting up, Marinette tried to echo her mother’s cheery tone. “Coming, maman!” she called, tearing the comfortable sheets off to finally get out of bed. 

She sighed while skimming her closet for the outfit laid out specifically for this day; part of the reason she felt so tired was  _ because _ of staying up all night trying to put it together. Sure Alya had warned her about getting a good night's rest, but when Marinette was going to be the only First Year in a decent uniform, she was positive it would all be worth it. Following her father’s humming down the stairs, she was surprised to find out her mother was not in the kitchen. 

“Morning Papa” she grunted, letting her drowsiness peak through 

“Good morning, Marinette” he beamed back, mixing what appeared to be cupcake batter in a large bowl. Her father had always been somewhat of an early bird _ — _ and it never bothered Marinette or her mother, but on days where she overslept (which seemed to happen  _ a lot _ more than she’d care to admit) the energy helped liven her up for the rest of the morning. “Your mother is waiting for you by the door” 

Although she would have rather stayed to wait for a pastry, or cookie, or even one of those  _ delicious _ looking cupcakes, Marinette begrudgingly took a banana before heading out of the kitchen

“You're sure you don’t want to say goodbye to your papa?” Tom laughed, lifting the groggy girl off her feet. It was the last day he would be seeing his daughter for a while, and Marinette silently cursed herself for not waking up earlier, just to spend a little more time with him.

Amazingly, she found herself crying while bringing her dad in closer for a tighter hug

“Goodbye, Papa” she choked out. Truth be told, the young girl didn’t think it would be so hard letting go _ — _ saying goodbye. Of course, she had always known it wouldn’t be an easy task, but it shouldn’t be that hard staying connected. Still, her heart ached knowing she wouldn't wake up to the buttery smell of fresh pastries and bitter coffee _ — _ at least not for a while. 

“I love you so much little one” her father finally sniffed, placing her delicately on the ground, “be a good kid, alright? Don’t cause too much trouble” 

She laughed 

“And you better not lose those skills in Mecha Strike III: I want a rematch as soon as I get back!” 

They stared at each other for a while, sobbing and laughing, before going in for one last hug

“I’m going to miss you so much, Papa” 

“Me too, little one” 

“Marinette!” a familiar voice called from the hallway, “if you wait any longer I’m sure they’ll leave without you!”

The hug might have been rather short for her taste (and his), but neither wanted Marinette to be late to her first day of school. Wiping her eyes and heading towards the door, the now fully awake teen braced herself for a goodbye with her mother. 

“I’m here, I’m here!” she giggled trying to cover the melancholy in her voice. In a way, saying her farewells to each parent separately had been a good thing: doing the same thing would have hurt way worse if they were both together. It didn’t make it  _ feel _ any easier though, but maybe that meant no matter how you did it, saying goodbye to the people you love was always hard. 

“Marinette, sweetheart” her mother began, and yep, there were the tears, “I want you to know, no matter what happens, I will  _ always _ be proud of you” Sabine paused before beginning again, “I know _ — _ ” she choked, “I know there are going to be times where you feel lost and want to come home” at this point, tears started streaming down Marinette’s face

“And your father and I _ — _ we will always take you back with welcome arms, but” Sabine reached up to touch her daughter’s cheek, “but deep down inside, you’ll know when it  _ is  _ time to come home: there are people out there, who you might not have even met yet, who need you. I know you won’t give up on them, Marinette. Be the girl I  _ know _ you are” Marinette was instantly pulled down into another hug, this time from her mother, as she whispered

“I love you so, so much, my dear. More than you can possibly know” At the same time, her father ran into the room, grabbing both Marinette and Sabine, picking them up. Before she knew it, Marinette found herself in yet another crying, sobbing, laughing heap

Looking into the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Nino whispered to Alya, “you think we should break them up?” 

“Leave them” she responded, wiping the welling tears in her eyes

“Besides, your family was worse” 

\---

The Miraculous Academy of the Magically Gifted wasn’t your regular wizardry school. For starters, while others began in the dead of the winter, MAMG commenced classes as early as mid July. Of course, this was more for the children of non-wielders: those who couldn’t use magic.

“Historically speaking, most people have been aware of the existence of magic for centuries” Marinette would remember her mother saying, “everyone has a little bit of magic in them, it just depends on whether you see it if you want to harness its powers”

“What does that even mean?” the confused girl would ask, wondering why everyone in the world didn’t simply enchant a broom to sweep the floor.

It meant this: magic was still more or less a myth. It was true all objects had the capability in possessing magic, but not everything could use its power. This led to many people denying the existence of it at all, though it was not yet illegal to perform in front of non-wielders and most knew it was real. 

“Think of it like this” Tom would say, “That broom you want to enchant? Well, because you  _ can _ enchant it, it has magic in it! Though that doesn’t mean everyone can see it work, or sweep the dust.” 

“What do they see then” she would ask again, and again, and again

“To be perfectly honest dear,” Sabine would answer, “I’m not sure. Your father and I have always been able to see magic _ — _ not seeing it has never even occurred to me. Maybe you should ask one of your friends?” 

At the time Marinette remembered not having many non-wielder friends, though that quickly changed after she was enrolled into a normal, non-magic school

The second odd thing (well, “odd” is a relative term isn’t it?) about the Miraculous Academy for the Magically Gifted was its age range. 

“You can start seeing magic anytime in your life” Tom shrugged, “but schools typically only let you in around 19” 

“Your father is right, dear, which is why you have to wait a few more years before enrolling” Sabine would later finish. 

What her parents had forgotten to admit was this: the age to stop seeing magic was 25. Once this stage was reached, the ability to see and use magic could no longer be developed if not there before. However, once you possess the magic eye, it could never be taken away. As a result, many 25 year olds were admitted into the academy, and there was no age limit for anyone after, as anyone who saw magic before 25 had it forever. 

But the strangest thing by far had been the academy’s prestige: The Miraculous Academy for the Magically Gifted was the only known place with surviving Miraculous _ — _ jewels of heroes’ from epics known to enhance any and all magical capability. 

“You’ll be sorted into a class when you get there” her parents would fondly reminisce, “your father and I were both Bee” and at this point in the conversation, Marinette would have to listen to her parents gush over their love story 

“Who knows! Maybe Marinette will find her own love!” her parents would jest, at which she would blush and mumble something about needing to finish a design

So the academy wasn’t a regular wizardry school: but that’s what made it so revered. MAMG was the  _ best _ wizardry academy established, and Marinette just so happened to be one of the lucky few who got in. That was, if she could make it in time. 

\---

“Ahh, to be a first year” Nino teased glancing at Alya when he should have been looking at the road, “I remember all too well what ‘first year buzz’ feels like”

“Pump the breaks, Lahiffe. You’re only like two years older than us” the brown haired girl responded

“Yeah, and look at the road!” Marinette quickly added, hoping today wouldn’t be the day she died

“Which” Nino replied, squinting at Marinette through the rearview mirror, “makes me a Last year, babe” he finished. “And I’ll have you know I happen to be an excellent driver, Miss. Daisy”

“If I die here today, I am  _ so _ coming back as a ghost to haunt you, and that ‘Last year’ comment is only on a technicality, Nino!”

“Hey, I did the time _ — _ I’m ready to commit the crime,  _ Dupain-Cheng _ ”

“That makes no sense,  _ Lahiffe _ ” 

“Your face makes no sense”   
  


“Oh, great comeback. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

The car ride stayed like this pretty much the whole time, with moments of sickeningly sweet flirting coming from the front. It was no surprise to anyone when Nino and Alya got together: they were made for each other. The fact that Marinette had been friends with them both separately before they started going out only reaffirmed her beliefs. Still, it would have been nice for her to have met someone by now _ — _ wielder or not. It was moments like this that made it feel especially lonely; the ones where Nino and Alya were sickeningly sweet. 

“Don’t mean to ruin your _ — _ might I add, all too rare _ — _ moment of silence Mari,” Nino interrupted, “but, we’re here”

\---

“First years to the right! Mid years to the left! Last years stay in the center! Come on people _ — _ find your places!” 

The orders had been on repeat non-stop since Marinette and Alya first arrived. Usually, MAMG had their “First Year Orientation Day” the day before school  _ actually  _ started, but this year everyone figured giving the older students a day to settle into their dorms wouldn’t hurt. So there everyone was, congregating into groups near the front of the school.  The building itself was more beautiful than anyone could have described. It was a large, castle-like structure with enormous glass windows covering most of the walls. A stained glass piece of a star was in the fore-center of the building, and magenta, which seemed to be the accent color, banners cascaded all around. The bricks were a very deep, dark brown; the roof a blue-ish black. Vines grew neatly around the whole thing, which must have taken a spell or two in order to accomplish. Simply put—if there was any place that looked like a magic academy, this was it. 

Suddenly, Marinette felt a tug at her wrist

“Girl let’s go! I want to know what class I get sorted into!” Alya squealed running into the front of the line. While she tried to seem unpleased, Marinette couldn’t help but feel excitement buzzing inside of her. ( _ Huh, I guess Nino was right _ ). In all honesty, she  _ really _ wanted to know what class she would belong to. Would she follow her parents legacy of the Bee? Would she embody Alya’s dream and belong to the Fox? She had wondered about her fate since just a child, though now that it was so close, she didn’t know how to react. Following her best friend inside, Marinette couldn’t help but smile as she saw Head Guardian _ — _ Master Fu _ — _ in front of the ever-growing crowd of new students.

Sadly, this smile would only last a small time, as when the girls finally found a pair of empty seats, a woman took Fu’s place in front. Though because she spoke too quietly, Marinette could barely make out a word the teacher said. Unexpectedly, her voice became louder through out the room as she continued to speak

“I hope that now everyone can hear me?” the crowd hummed in agreement

“Rightly so! I would like to start by saying good morning and welcoming you all to the Miraculous Academy for the Magically Gifted! As you all may know, classes don’t officially begin until tomorrow, so if you are an upperclassman and would like to get out, now is your last chance before we lock the doors!” A small handful of students got up from their seats and left the room. Quickly, others took their now empty places. 

“Great! Now, if there are no last minute questions,” she paused, scanning the room, “I can officially begin! My name is Madame Bustier,” ahh _ — _ so the face had a name _ — _ , “and I teach Spells 101 and Witching History. I’m sure many of you are excited to begin sorting, but I’m afraid there will first be a few announcements.”

There was a collective groan from the audience, but they were instantaneously shushed 

“As a school who accepts both long time and new magic seers, there are guaranteed to be a few confused faces in the crowd. First I would like to assure everyone they are right where they need to be: it does not matter if you are 19 or 90 _ — _ all are welcome! For those wondering, we will be going over a brief history of magic in society (for those of you who may not know) and the three main rules you must follow during your stay here at the MAMG. Before we dive in, does anyone want to start with a question?” 

...

“Can a 19 year old really be a Last year?” Marinette asked her mother, only to be met with a welcoming invite to help with the dishes

“Mmmm _ — _ I think I remember some in  _ my _ last year at the academy.” She replied, beginning to dry the first few, “See, the classes aren’t exactly divided by age” 

Seeing the confused expression on her daughter, Sabine continued, “Well in your first year, the oldest students can only be 25; I’m sure you remember why dear” Marinette furiously nodded, “After that, the only thing that matters in power.” 

… 

“What a good question” Madame Bustier beamed, “here at MAMG, there are three deciding factors which place you in a year: power, experience, and knowledge” 

… 

“So a 19 year old can’t be a Last year?” Marinette returned to the kitchen with her mother

“Typically no,” was her answer, “They either lack power, knowledge, experience, or all three. But it’s not  _ unheard  _ of sweety _ — _ just don’t expect it to be you” Sabine quickly added, much to her daughters dismay

...

“So do non-wielders know, or don’t know if we exist?” someone from the audience asked

“If you’re asking if we’re some type of secret society,” Madame Bustier replied, “then I’m afraid the answer is no: most non-wielders are aware we exist. Of course there are some skeptics, but that happens with every group at one point” 

… 

“Okay then, why do some people just have no clue about us?” Marinette grilled her father, while kneading the bread dough

“Like your friend Ivan’s parents? Sometimes magic just freaks them out, honey, or the wielder is too afraid of others reactions, so they don’t tell anyone _ — _ though some say people can be magic blind and just completely unaware of any sort of the thing at all” 

“But we don’t come from an evil background, do we Papa?” 

...

“No, of course not” Madame Bustier responded, looking rather flushed, “the Miraculously Gifted _ — _ that is to say witches _ — _ we’re the only ones strong enough to use the jewels in order to protect others. When you take my history class however,” she plugged in, “you will find that this is not entirely the case” 

… 

“Tell me more about the Miraculous Jewels?”

“Marinette dear, you really should be saving these questions for school” her parents both answered in unison

“But _ — _ ” 

“The jewels represent the Seven Sentiant Classes…”

...

“There is the Bee for Teamwork and Cooperation”

...

“The Peacock for Vision and Clairvoyance” 

…

“The Turtle for Protection and Wisdom”

...

“The Fox for Truth and Trust”

...

“The Butterfly for Beauty and Generosity”

...

“The Black Cat for Destruction and Bad Omen” 

...

“And finally the Ladybug, for Creation and Luck” Madame Bustier finally finished. “There are some caveats however,” she resumed with a grunt from the students, “You will only be sorted into one of three until your last year: Fox, Turtle or Bee,”

...

“How is that even fair?” Marinette whined to her now unresponsive parents 

“Let’s see” Tom began thinking, “I’m pretty sure the Peacock and Butterfly went missing _ — _ pffft, forever ago” 

“And the Ladybug and Cat are too powerful for first years” 

...

“Unless you are of the age 21 and over” was the last thing the audience heard before they went ballistic

“Why 21?” 

“I want it now” 

“This is so unfair! There are 24 year old first years!” 

...

“Honey, there are simply parts of the mind that have not developed to handle being in those classes. They take a tremendous amount of power that you are physically not ready to handle!” Marinette’s parents warned

… 

“Simply put,” Madame Bustier assured, “you will all have your time to try out before you leave the Academy. My final word is this: although you will be separated into different classes soon enough, everyone will take the same core classes in Spells, Enchantments, Potions, Writing, and History”

...

“But each class specializes in something” her mother added, “Bee does transportation, Turtle protection, Peacock for clairvoyance, Fox for illusions”

...

“The Butterflies would have learned to give others powers, the Ladybugs learn to Create, and the Black Cats learn to destroy.” the professor had said. “Is that all for questions?” After scanning the room once more, Madame Bustier was content to find no one raised a hand, and so she at last said, “The final topic on our agenda: the rules.

...

“You’ve got to know them by now, Mari” Alya used to tease, making Marinette recite them over and over and over

Right—the rules: 

Rule One — no spells at 3:00 am

The Witching Hour; all spells cast during, or even around 3:00 am, were significantly stronger than their early bird counterparts, and with Marinette’s inexperience, it would only be a matter of time before the building blew up (or worse—someone got hurt)

Rule Two — no sneaking to the restricted section

It was restricted for a reason: only advanced witches and wizards could access this section of the library—and Marinette was not an advanced witch or wizard. The information found in these books would be impossible for her to control, and again, it would only be a matter of time before the building blew up. 

And finally: Rule Three —the cardinal rule 

**Stay away from Dark Magic: any spells, potions, charms, hexes, talismans, gems, jewels, crystals, water, enchanted items, and everything and anything that could be used as such**

This one was a big no-no: dark/black magic had been outlawed by the Guardians and was forbidden to be performed on school grounds—forbidden from every ground really. It was too powerful, too deadly, and it took years to master its strength. Not even the Last Years could handle a fraction of its power—and Marinette had no use getting into trouble like that. 

The rules were imperative to follow and detrimental if broken. Every First, Mid, and Last year had to follow these guidelines: some have even been banned from magic for breaking them. Afterall, they were there for a reason—to keep people safe, to stop the ever growing fear of magic. 

… 

“And that’s it. Following these restrictions are important—and anyone who is seen violating  _ any _ of them will be sent to The Guardians and punished how they see fit” the room fell silent before picking up its excitement at Madame Bustier’s final  _ last  _ words 

“If there are no further comments, let us begin the Sorting!” 

\---

Sorting was a lot more boring when you literally had no idea who anyone was— _ that’s  _ what nobody ever told you. 

“Louis DeVont in...Bee! Subcategorization with the...Goldfish Miraculous!” 

“Lila Rossi in...Fox! Subcategorization with the...oh—I’m afraid you’re not ready for a Miraculous yet, Lila” Lila ran off stage, tears streaming down her face. 

It had gone on like that for hours: one by one the students went up to receive a Main Seven Class and a Miraculous of their own. Unless you were unlucky enough to be like that Lila girl, who wasn’t yet powerful enough to receive a Miraculous of her own.

“Did you know” Alya would occasionally lean in, whispering a fact Marinette could barely hear, “that each Miraculous is unique to its wilder? Only the Central Seven in the Miracle Box have ever been reused: it takes so much power to wear them! No wonder no first year can be sorted with those Miraculouses!” 

“Is that why all of these suck so much?” Marinette questioned, making Alya giggle, “I mean, who has even ever  _ heard  _ of a Goldfish Miraculous?” 

“Max Kante in...Turtle! Subcategorization with the...with the Horse Miraculous!” There was a cheer from the audience as Fu bowed down to Max

“A wearer from one of nineteen—I foresee you becoming a powerful ally, Max” The boy bowed before awkwardly shuffling off stage. One of nineteen? Maybe that’s why the school began so late while others started at sixteen. Or maybe, these were just random thoughts Marinette was having to not  _ actually die _ from boredom. Sure she had recognized a few faces here and there, but there was no one memorable enough to make an impact—until her 

“Hey, I know that girl!” Marinette nugged Alya, who was already at the edge of her seat. It appeared that she had been enjoying each sort, something Marinette wished she had shared.

“Juleka Couffaine in...Fox! Subcategorization with the...looks like two for two! Subcategorization with the Tiger Miraculous!” 

Once again Fu bowed, and all assumed he mentioned the “one of nineteen” thing again. However, this time Marinette cheered the girl on: they used to be friends back in non-wielder school, until she had to move away. Now that they were both attending MAMG though, maybe they could be friends once more

The passion soon wore off after a while, and again Marinette found herself ready to fall asleep. When ready to inform Alya of her master plan, however, the confused girl found she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe that was a good thing: although the facts were nice, the quiet had proved to be even better, but as Marinette tried to fall asleep, a familiar figure walked across the stage. Suddenly, everything became too real. That was Alya. Alya was the one on the stage, dipping her hand into the Miracle box. Alya, as in  _ her best friend Alya _ . Alya, who’s dreams of being a fox were about to come true, or wither away until they remained only a memory. Marinette shut her eyes: she knew by now she had some time to think before the box would produce her Class and Miraculous. In a few moments, that could be her. They could take her up there, at any time, like they had done to Alya. She would stick her hand in a box—the most  _ magical  _ box in all of existence—and her future would be decided forever. Her jobs would be tailored to her Class, her children will be influenced by what her class teaches her, (which she will inevitably pass down, just as her parents had done) hell, maybe the love of her life would be in her Class. Afterall, that’s how Marinette’s parents had met. Before she knew it, Marinette opened her eyes. 

“Alya Cesaire in…” here it was, the moment of truth. The moment Alya waited for her whole life long. This was her make or break moment. As any decent best friend would, Marinette  _ begged _ to anyone who was out there listening to give Alya this: she  _ deserved  _ this. 

“...Fox!” each girls’ face lit up. “Subcategorization with...” Now it didn’t matter. Alya could get whatever lame Cricket Miraculous there was left or whatever, but she had done it. She had made it into fox, now all there was left was to wait and see what—

“The Fox Miraculous!” Without a beat of hesitation, the entire room erupted. Alya had just gotten one of five. Alya had just gotten one of five! Marinette leaped from her seat, jumping up and down, hugging whoever was at arm's length. They were a part of history now. Alya— _ her best friend _ —had just made history. Unfortunately, her celebration was cut short, and before Alya could even make it back to tell Marinette anything, she was whisked away by Madame Bustier.

\---

The line was so long, that by the time the stage was visible, two hours had passed, and Marinette just so happened to have the pleasure of being the last one sorted (as per special request by her parents, for which why she would ask later). At this point she didn’t care if she was even to be categorized or not: all she wanted to do was lay down. Soon enough, she lost track of who was given what and where, but she was sure Alya would be delighted to fill her in. Was she excited? A little; however, by now most of it was worse for wear. Unlike Alya, Marinette didn’t have a clear choice into what Class she would have preferred. Not like there were many choices anyway. Gun held to her head and she absolutely  _ had _ to pick one, Bee would have likely nabbed the spot: it  _ was  _ the house her parents belonged to. She didn’t have a preference though: Turtle and Fox sounded just fine, and Fox meant she could be with Alya. Still, Nino was in Turtle, so once again, Marinette found it didn’t matter. 

Finally, she was seven away from the rest of her life. In customary tradition, the final seven all stood proudly next to each other, signifying the original seven Miraculouses. They were almost never anything important though—still only obscure Miraculouses and one of three Classes. This year was already more significantly gifted: with Alya as One of Five and two One of Nineteens. Sure, there were others in the grades above, but never in such rapid succession and definitely never so many on the first pull. It usually took a few sortings to get such powerful Jewels, if you were experienced enough to get sorted multiple times at all. 

“It’s Marinette right? As in Dupain-Cheng?” Madame Bustier asked kindly, obviously trying to appease Marinette’s apparent boredom. 

“Yes, Madame” she replied

“Your parents were the cutest couple on campus, Marinette!” Madame Bustier reminisced fondly. “I was a student here with them, and I remember they were two peas in a pod! If I recall, they were both Bee class, correct?” 

Marinette was shocked to see Madame Bustier knew so much about her parents: they had never thought about bringing her up

“You could say they were as ‘busy as bees’” she responded, cringing internally at the unintentionally inappropriate joke. If Madame Bustier noticed, she didn’t seem to care as she glazed right past the response.

“Is that what you’re hoping for then?” 

“Well, I guess—but I wouldn’t mind being sort into a different house” 

“You seem like a very optimistic girl, Marinette,” Madame Bustier smiled, “it will be a pleasure to see you in class.” 

Someone else peered from behind the curtains. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng? You’re up next.”

...

“Don’t worry, dear” her mom would say, “just think happy thoughts and let the Miracle Box work its magic”

“Maman, I think I finally know where I get my terrible puns from” Marinette responded, her mind at ease knowing the day of her sorting was still a long ways away.

...

“Stick your hand in here, Marinette” the old man—er—Master Fu instructed. It was much colder than the girl had imagined, and call it her overactive imagination, but she could  _ definitely  _ feel something moving. 

“I sense you do not have much expectation” Fu said, closing his eyes. 

“Well, I can’t say I do” Marinette responded, shifting her feet. She had almost forgotten the entire room full of students sitting mere steps from where she was. The moment felt rather...intimate. Almost as if making other people watch should have been downright wrong. 

“We cast an enchantment so the students feel more comfortable” Master fu said finally opening his eyes, “it makes them feel less pressured by their Class”

Marinette thought of what her mother had said right before she left for the school.  _ I will be proud of you no matter what _ . 

She was ready for this. She was ready for her future. Everything was clear now, clearer than it had ever been in. No matter what happened, Marinette was sure she could make anything work: Fox, Turtle, or Bee. It was only a matter of time before she knew—before she could take the first few steps towards the rest of her life. 

But she was not ready for  _ that _ . The face the Master gave clearly indicated confusion...or was it shock?

No

It was fear

Marinette was not ready for the face of sheer horror Madame Bustier displayed, before replacing it with disgust.

Marinette was not ready to hear the screams of her fellow classmates—the professors telling everyone to remain calm and in their seats, that no one was in any danger. 

Marinette was not ready to hear her class  _ or _ her Miraculous

Marinette Dupain-Cheng in the Black Cat...subcategorising with the Black Cat Miraculous. 

Bad Omen.

Destruction. 

One of the key rules in the Miraculous Academy of the Magically Gifted was to  _ never, under no circumstance  _ involve yourself with Black Magic

Dark Magic

But no one told you what to do if you ended up sorted into it. 


	2. Black Moon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The balance of the world is off, and Adrien didn't show up to the first day of classes. Somehow, destiny is about to take the wheel--Sunshine just needs to pray he is ready for it 
> 
> AKA. What happens to Adrien on his first day of school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter II of this witchy AU! This time it's in Adrien's POV, but Marinette is mentioned...like twice? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy, and hopefully I update more often!! <3 
> 
> PS sorry about the kinda short chapter, but I guarantee the others will be longer

Adrien Agreste was never late for anything.

His life had always been one schedule after another, one photo shoot after another, one thing after another, which eventually gave him the uncanny ability to judge time almost perfectly. It was a great skill to have, truth be told, as he never liked showing up late anyway. More importantly, his mother never liked him showing up late.

Knowing this made the events of the day all the more interesting

In theory, he should have had a normal first day. He should have woken up with his first alarm, hopped in the shower, and eaten a quiet breakfast with his mother. Ideally, the Gorilla would have given him a ride to school where he would catch up with Nino and settle in their dorm. Maybe he even would have stuck around the sorting box assembly: Adrien was sure Nino had a girlfriend who was being sorted this year. Obviously none of this happened. Afterall, Adrien did not live in an ideal world

“Adrien?” a familiar voice called out, “What are you still doing here?” 

It was Nathalie. 

Was it a little strange she was still calling him out of bed at the age of 21? Sure, but not as strange as the fact that she was calling him out of bed at all. Adrien had near perfect timing. Adrien was never late. Adrien had just slept through his third alarm, on the second day of classes. 

“Nathalie? Wh-what time is it?” 

8:47 am— late enough 

What the hell had happened? 

“I’ll send the car down for you, but you’d better be ready unless you’d like to take the bus” Nathalie said coolly. It was nice still having her here, even after all this time. Honestly, Adrien was just glad someone could stay and give his mother company, seeing how his father passed so long ago

“Thank you, Nathalie” He responded, “and uh—do you mind we keep this between us?” Adrien pleaded with his best puppy dog eyes: he’d hate for his mother to know her son had already slacked off on his last year

The tall woman sighed, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your mother. Just, try to keep this a one time thing?” 

Hastily she left the room, picking up her phone and dialing the front desk. When she left, Adrien began to run the shower; if he was going to be late, there was no point in showing up completely disheveled. As the cold water began to run, the blonde couldn’t help but feel something strange. Being the heir to one of the most powerful families of magicians always brought on these unusual auras, but this time it was different. This feeling was different. Something felt off—the cosmic balance felt...off somehow. It was subtle, almost too subtle to pick up, yet there was no use denying that the world’s usual perfect balance had been tipped. But what could it have been? Where was it coming from? 

Quickly the boy finished his shower. If he wanted any luck in finding an answer, the Miraculous Academy for the Magically Gifted would be a good place to start. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get ready: the dull grey uniform had been sitting on the foot of his bed since Sunday, ready to be plastered on any moment. He had always hated the uniform. He hated the muted grey color that signified he never belonged to any house. He hated the way his mother would look at him in it, eyes full of hope and encouragement, only to find year and year again he was not ready to hold any Miraculous. 

And any Miraculous would have been fine with him—any. The only thing that mattered was his placement in the Bee house. Once long ago, when Adrien was much younger than he was now, dreams of Butterfly and Peacock danced in his head. Adrien wanted to continue the Agreste legacy: he wanted to be sorted into the house of his parents. However, their houses didn’t exist anymore, and neither did his dreams of making a name of himself. 

He was finally ready to leave.

...

The ride to the academy was never a long one, especially when you were traveling by broomstick. Maybe it would have been better if Adrien had done what he said he would and waited for the Gorilla: Nathalie did say she was going to call a driver. Still, seeing the face of his mother, who every year had so anxiously told Adrien he would be in a house—any house—was too much to handle, even more so considering the blonde was already late. 

None of this made sense. Adrien was clearly powerful enough to be sorted multiple times, not many people could say they could, and yet, he did not belong to any house. How was it even possible he still attended the school? Everyone had a place to belong to, and there was no doubt in his mind that some were less powerful than him. He was an Agreste for goodness sake! But maybe that was it; maybe that was why he had not been thrown out yet. Could his family name be the only thing carrying his life? 

Adrien cursed at the wind. All his life he was only ever an Agreste, the heir to arguably the most powerful family of magic.

“He is a child of the sun”, the Guardians had said when he was born. Adrien was literally known as a sun child. A sweet, helpless, unimportant sun child, who would never be anything without his family name. 

No

That was not it

Adrien was not just an Agreste. He was a hard worker. He was responsible. Adrien did everything he could for the people he loved, and Adrien loved everyone. If it was true he would never be as strong as his mother, his father, at least Adrien had heart. He had spirit and optimism, and he would prove to the world he was Adrien. It didn’t matter if he was an Agreste or not: the name would not carry him forever.

“You! On the broom!” a voice called from below, “Don’t you know what time it is?”

Almost on command, Adrien flew to the teacher calling his name

“Madame Mendeleiev!” he exclaimed

“Adrien,” she replied dryly, “Master Fu was looking all over for you yesterday. I was expecting more from an Agreste” 

She threw the word almost as an insult, but the boy didn’t take it to heart. Madame Mendeleiev wasn’t a bad teacher by any means; she was just strict. Of course, being who Adrien was always meant an added layer of pressure, but it was never anything the blonde couldn’t handle 

“I’m sure you know your way to his office?” she continued, looking down at her watch, “Classes are about to let out soon, so make sure you head straight there: you wouldn’t be able to catch much of the second period anyway.” 

Madame Mendeleiev waved a quick goodbye before heading into a nearby building, presumably to begin her first class of the day: Potions 101 

Adrien unmounted his broom and began walking towards the general direction of Fu’s office. Being late was one thing, but being late for a meeting with Head Guardian was another. This could still be a good thing though. It was highly unlikely Fu couldn’t sense the balance, and talking to him about it could help Adrien figure out why he was feeling so strange 

“Poor girl,” a muffled voice whispered in the hallway, “I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be cursed with such horrible power”

“We better stay away from her then,” another voice answered, “who knows if we’re even safe this year at all”

“She must be despicable. She must have done something truly disgusting to get in with such and evil Miraculous” yet another voice called out, though this time from somewhere else

No matter where he went, no matter what path he turned, Adrien couldn’t escape the chittering voices. Everyone was talking about someone—well, a girl clearly—and an unruly evil surrounding her. It was the first time in basically forever Adrien had just been ignored. Still, he wasn’t sure he liked the reason why. Finally, a familiar voice caught his ear

“She’s not like that! Marinette has a good heart! This has to be some sort of mistake!” Nino defended his lifelong friend with a passion that defined him as Turtle 

“Nino!” Adrien called, attracting a small group of eyes now focusing on him, “Nino, what the hell is going on?” 

Nino looked tired. In fact, he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Now Adrien was really confused. The aura had been especially strong around his friend, yet Adrien didn’t believe it could be him. It couldn’t be Nino 

“Adrien! Where the hell have you been?” Suddenly they were bombarded with people: the halls were flooded with questions and rumors and gossip. What did Nino know that everyone else seemed to miss? 

“You mis—actually come here” Nino yanked Adrien to the side with him, stowing him away in a secret corridor. A disappearing enchantment; Nino had been practicing over the summer

“There, we should be safe for now,” he continued, “You just had to miss yesterday, didn’t you?” Nino chuckled, shaking his head, “Aw man—I need to catch you up on everything!” 

“Great, but is there some sort of abbreviated version of what I missed? I kinda need to go to Fu’s office”

His friend’s face paled, “Fu’s? What the hell do you need to go there for?” 

Adrien shrugged, “Mendeleiev sent me there. I guess it’s about my absence” 

“Absence? If it were that insignificant, you would be sent to Damocles” he shot back, “Shit, maybe they’re gonna catch you up on it” Nino huffed 

“Catch me up on what!?” Adrien cried. It was like being left out of an inside joke your closest friends had together. Was Adrien really that unimportant, even being an Agreste and all?

“Adrien, a girl got sorted into Black Cat” Nino stated firmly

“So what? Tons of people belong to Black Cat? Mylene is in black cat isn’t she?” 

“Yeah, but Mylene Haprele is with us—she’s a Last year. It took her like five draws to get in too!” 

Okay so this was interesting. A first year Black Cat. Whoever this girl was must have been powerful. This still shouldn’t have been news though. There were Black Cats everywhere—they were a proud, and loud, section of the school. What was the big deal? 

Nino sighed: he really did look like he was about to collapse, “Adrien, this girl, she got double Black Cat” 

What?  
  


“She—she’s...she’s the next Chat Noir” he continued

That’s impossible! A first year? Double Black Cat? 

“Dark Magic” Adrien whispered 

“Dark Magic” Nino replied

...

Something was not right. Nino had a point: Damocles was the one to go to for attendance, or absences, or basically anything that had to do with school. People only went to Fu for magic related instances—which should have excluded Adrien. Afterall, he never did anything wrong. Never in his life had he broken any rule, especially any regarding…

Dark Magic

Black Magic 

Chat Noir was back.

The voices in the hall were right. That poor girl, whoever she was. She would never be able to perform magic, certainly not to her fullest ability, because everything she did would be dark magic. There was no getting around it. Her spells, potions, enchantments would be insanely strong. She would be so powerful no one could keep her at bay. Having Chat Noir back was too much of a risk. They would have to kill her.

Burn her at the stake 

It was an archaic saying non-wielders had come up with back when they were afraid of witches. They were still afraid of witches. If they ever found out—if they ever found out about this much power, that’s exactly what they would do.

This poor girl could never live. Even if no one tried killing her—if she didn’t have a strong enough soul then...then she would be consumed by the very magic coursing through her veins. She was cursed, she would be cursed from now until the end of her time. Once you draw One of Two, you can never go back. She was just unlucky enough to draw the wrong one. 

But Adrien wasn’t here for her: he couldn’t be. He had missed the Miracle Box Ceremony—there was no way Fu thought Adrien could be in the loop! Oh god...unless he was here for a different reason. He was an Agreste; he was an heir to the Agreste powers. If they did execute a witch (god, they hadn’t in so long), would he have to be there? Would he have to stay and watch? Did he need to do it to show his worth? 

“Adrien Agreste” a calm voice called from the door, “You can come in” 

He took a deep breath. There was no way Adrien could do it. Kick him out of the academy, make him change his name, bar him from all magic, he would never be that cruel

“I can’t do it!” he blurted out, “I won’t kill her! I can’t” 

Master Fu looked puzzled

“Adrien” he commented pouring out tea from a pot

“Master, with all due respect, she didn’t do anything wrong! She just happened to get the luck of the draw—bad luck!” 

“Adrien,” Fu answered, smirking, “I think I know what this is about”

The old man carefully placed a cup on the floor near Adrien, gesturing to him to sit down. He hadn’t noticed it before, but Fu’s office was very...bare. 

“In order to become a master,” Master Fu began, almost as if reading Adrien’s mind, “one must rid themselves of worldly possessions.” 

Adrien sighed, “I apologize for my outburst, Master. I meant no disrespect: I’m sure you know the best way to take care of the situation, and it would be my honor to help in whichever way I can” he finished

“I see you’ve heard about the girl” the man answered, taking a long sip from his tea, “but you don’t need to apologize, Adrien, it is in your heart to protect the ones you love” 

And Adrien loved everyone. It had been a prevalent characteristic of his since he first began showing signs of magic, which to his credit had been earlier than most. It was part of his personality, his aura, to be so generous. Of course Fu would be able to read it: it was one of his defying traits

“Still, it must be hard for you, seeing such a young candidate get such a powerful placement” 

Adrien sank down. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought of it that way. Here was this girl, who didn’t belong to any great family, with one of the two most powerful Miraculouses in magic history. Here was this nobody girl sorted in One of Two, while Adrien was looking on from the sidelines. 

But he wasn’t mad. Adrien wasn’t mad at all. He knew family names didn’t matter: he knew you could be anyone and still be all powerful, or in his case, weak. Adrien empathized with the girl, knowing her life would always be hard, and no matter what she felt, she was not a nobody. She was One of Two. She was power incarnated. 

“Can I know who she is?” Adrien asked, staring at his cup of tea

“You will learn her name, but I’m afraid nobody will be able to recall it soon enough,” Fu responded, stroking his greying beard, “As soon as I called her house and jewel, the Miracle Box wiped her identity from everyone's memory. Soon, no one will even know she was a first year, or who she is or what she looked like. All they will remember is that Chat Noir has returned” 

Fu grimaced at the floor, “You see Adrien, it was a mistake I called her name at all. The identities of the Sentient Seven Miraculous holders should remain hidden, and with enough time, only the Guardians will recollect who each one was”

“Master,” Adrien questioned, “Why are you telling me this? What role do I play in this?” 

“There are two reasons I am telling you this now, Adrien” Fu explained, “By the night of the full moon, the Miracle box will have completed its job and erased all traces of any identity of the girl, of any of them. Even someone as powerful as you won’t be able to remember it.”

Adrien opened his mouth as if to ask a question, but Fu continued, “This is the first time in centuries all 19 holders have been selected, and I fear an evil is coming our way. Alya Cesaire of the Fox, Nino Lahiffe of the Turtle, Chloe Bourgeois of the Bee...Marinette Dupain-Cheng of the Black Cat, they will all be tasked to protect us, protect everyone as they were so long ago.” 

“And the second reason?” 

The old, little man smiled, taking one final sip of tea, “I’m sure you’ve felt an imbalance in the universe lately” he said, “For so long, young one, you have led a life in which you thought yourself powerless” Fu started walking towards a gramophone, unlocking a hidden compartment inside

The Miracle Box

“But I’m afraid that was never the case” he opened the vessel, unveiling the only Miraculous left inside 

The Ladybug 

Good Luck

Creation 

“I knew it would have been irresponsible to hand it over without the Black Cat to balance it, so I didn’t” Fu looked at Adrien

“I waited to see if you could be picked for another: a First year holding such power shouldn’t have been possible. But Adrien, from the first day you stepped into the Miraculous Academy for the Magically Gifted I knew this was your destiny” 

Fu took the jewels and placed them in Adriens hands

They were trembling 

“You will lead the Sentient Seven; you will command all 19 Miraculouses and use their power to save the world—to restore its balance.”

You are the chosen of the Ladybug 

Adrien stared at his hands—he wanted to take a long hard look at the newly placed jewels. All this time, all this time he had been fated to be something great. He just had to wait for it.

And Adrien had waited enough

“On the night of the full moon, you will be officially bonded with Tikki, your familiar. You will only know of the existence of your allies, but you will not know their names. And Adrien, it is important you do not attempt to learn” 

“How will I know to find you?” the blonde asked, expecting he would want to ask more questions later

Fu laughed, “Don’t worry Adrien. When you need it the most, I will find you” 

If the most important rule of the Miraculous Academy for the Magically gifted was to stay away from black magic, Adrien would never have to worry again 

The sun child wasn’t even capable of thinking it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for you Lana_Moon
> 
> Right, so I don't know if I wanna switch off POV's every chapter, but I think it might stay a Marinette story. Let me know if you guys prefer one over the other tho!! The next chapter might not have them meet up yet, but don't worry, this strange love square is about to unfold. 
> 
> Remember to stay safe and love each other

**Author's Note:**

> Congratulations! We both just finished out first chapter :-) Where is this going? Guess we're gonna find out together! I might add another ship (only because I'm such a Lukanette whore lol) but as of rn it's staying a Love Square fic. Let me know if you wanna see more ships tho! 
> 
> Remember to be kind...and stay safe & ;3
> 
> Edit. This took me waaay to long. I'm finally happy with how it's turning out though, so worth it? This story is going to be loooong ig, but hey, aren't those the best kinds? This will eventually involve the heroes btw. How? Guess you'll have to saty tuned to see! I hope you guys like the rework, and please, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them below! I also love hearing your feedback: it helps me grow as a writer! The stuff with above with the ships still apply, and this time I have a really good way of working Lukanette in as well!


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